Bloody Symphony
by SharkOfJade
Summary: (WARNING. SPOILERS FOR PERSONA 4 ARENA ULTIMAX) In The Lost Decade, dissenting sentiments spread like a plague across the country, from the smallest of single houses to the towering cities. They infected the minds of not only adults, but the pubescent, and even the children. …In some instances, they even tainted the very unborn. (Sho Minazuki-centric fic based on his backstory)
1. Chapter 1

_**The Lost Decade…**_

_**For millions of poor souls in Japan, it was a time of wretched despair. The country's economy crumbled away, leaving the citizens to wallow in the worst of emotions.**_

_**Their frustration in constantly being laid off, their anxiety as they counted the remaining yen in their pocket, their sorrow as they sit together at an empty dinner table, and their utter hopelessness in such a time.**_

_**These dissenting sentiments spread like a plague across the country, from the smallest of single houses to the towering cities. They infected the minds of not only adults, but the pubescent, and even the children.**_

…_**In some instances, they even tainted the very unborn.**_

* * *

><p>When did my life begin? Heh, now there's a damn good question.<p>

I know that the typical answer should be 'when I was born', but that doesn't feel like the right answer for me.

Why? Because I remember jack shit about the first couple years after my birth. The only thing I can recall from those days was the blurry sight of a decrepit apartment, illuminated by a single lamp, as an old man scribbled away on several papers while countless glass bottles surrounded him.

If there was any moment where I felt like my life actually began, it would be the day that my older sister and me were led out of that apartment by a bunch of police officers. She held me close with a tight embrace as we were led to the outside of the complex. Once we were out, the rain soaked my hair in just a single second, right before my sister was given an umbrella, and held it over both of our heads.

That's when I saw the bright red lights of the police sirens, piercing through the nighttime fog as countless cars and policemen surrounded a limp body. As the sound of the raindrops and the sirens settled in my ears, I could hear them muttering things like "He must've jumped from the very top…" and "Can't say I blame the poor guy, given how miserable he looks". When I tried to take a step closer to see, Sis pulled me right back to where I was standing, and used her spare hand to cover my eyes. As she held me, I could feel her arms trembling, and hear her throat filling up with tears…

* * *

><p>We were soon taken to what I later discovered was an orphanage, and brought into a room filled with a bunch of other kids. Some looked about as old as me, others looked about as old as Sis, but none of them looked all too happy to be there.<p>

We were told that all of the kids were our new best friends, but that turned out to be a complete crock of shit.

Because the only thing that I remember from that damn place was the teasing laughs that came from all of the kids, and the sharp sting in my eyes as they grew moist from that very laughter.

Sis let me softly cry in her lap once each day had ended, and gently stroked the top of my head, telling me that everything will be all right.

I didn't know exactly what she meant when she said that, until one fateful night…

"Shoji…" Sis whispered my name as she gently shook my shoulder while I was sleeping. Once I noticed her, I slowly blinked until I could keep my eyes completely open.

"Huh? What is it Sis?" I asked in a low whisper as I tilted my head back to see her. Even within the thick darkness of the orphanage bedrooms, I could make out her gentle amber eyes, and her head of striking crimson hair; the same color as mine.

"Get up, we hafta get outside." She told me with a rather peppy smile, and quietly began to pull off the blanket I was underneath. At first, the chill of the cold air crawled across my skin, leaving goosebumps wherever they went, but that didn't stop me from getting out of the bed and standing right next to my sister.

She gave me a quick smile before quickly putting my clothes on, and took a hold of my hand as we tiptoed our way through the bedroom. Once we reached a simple wall, Sis raised her whole leg up, and carefully placed her foot on the wooden box of toys, making sure that not even the smallest creak came from it in the process. She then slowly lifted herself up on top of the toy box, where it turns out that the window above it was right in her grasp now.

I heard Sis open up the window with a faint _click_, and then looked up to see her offering her hand for me.

"Come on up Shoji." She told me in that calm and reassuring voice of hers. After hearing that, I managed to swallow the slight fear that was bubbling inside me, and took a hold of her hand. Sis hoisted me right up onto the toy box with her, and even lifted me up with her arms, which allowed me to be right in from of the window.

Out of instinct, I opened the window up, and Sis stood up on her tippy toes to let my head through it.

"Shoji, look to your right, okay?" Sis whispered as she kept holding me up. I was a bit surprised at first, but I did what she said, and looked to the right, where I saw a long array of roots growing on the outside of the orphanage.

"Do you see the weeds that are growing on the side of the building?" She asked me, to which I responded with a simple 'm-hm'.

"Good. Grab onto it." She told me.

"H-huh?" I answered back in a fit of worry, as the fears that I was holding began to come back out. It didn't help that the roots didn't look all-too pleasant to hold.

"C'mon Shoji, we hafta hurry if we want to get out of here…!" Sis's voice was especially distressed now, even as she continued to keep it low. "I'm not gonna let you stay with all of those mean kids after all."

I felt a flurry of butterflies rattle in my stomach. I was nervous as hell to continue, but Sis had a really good point, and I didn't want to let her down. As such, I reached a single hand out of the window, and latched on to the closest weed.

"Okay, good job." Sis told me happily as she heard the soft crunch of the plant in my tiny palm. "Now the other hand."

I gave a simple nod, and carefully placed my other arm out of the window as well. My sister even gave me a small push to help me even further out, and I could reach another root on the side of the orphanage. Once Sis gave me another push up, fitting my entire torso through the rim. From there, I lifted up one leg out of the window as well, just like how Sis lifted her whole leg onto the toy box, and immediately lifted my other leg out as well, practically swinging out of the orphanage as I held onto the roots with the tightest grip.

Once I planted my feet on the outside wall of the building, I cautiously lowered myself step by step, until I finally reach the ground.

I look back up at the window, and already see Sis's head popping out of it as she reached for a root herself. With a swift movement of her legs, she leapt through the window, and slowly descended to the ground just as I did.

"Okay…" She muttered once she was standing next to me. "Now let's get out of here Shoji."

I immediately nodded to her, and took a hold of her hand as we ran from the orphanage as far as our bare feet could take us. That led us into the thickness of the industrial jungle that was Iwatodai.

…I don't really remember anything from that event though. Whenever I try to resurface any memories about how we managed to traverse the city in the middle of the night, all I find is a giant blur as black as the night itself.

I know why though; I must've fallen asleep at some point, to which Sis began carrying me on her back as she weaved her way through Iwatodai for the both of us. I know that because when I woke up the next day, I found myself curled up in her arms, while she was still dead asleep in the middle of an abandoned alleyway. When I saw her feet, they were a swelling shade of red all the way up to her ankles, as her soles bled on the rough concrete she was sleeping on.

* * *

><p>As the days passed, we continued to rest within that little alleyway. Sis managed to find a cardboard box for us to call home, while I scrounged up some plastic bags from the garbage to fold into pillows. When it came to finding food, Sis usually went out on her own in the dead of night, and told me to stay put within our house of cardboard. Sometimes it only took her a few minutes to get something, while other times, it took her hours. When she returned, she either had a piece of half-eaten bread, or a bottled drink from a vending machine. But most of the time, she came out empty-handed, and we just fell asleep listening to the growls of our own stomachs.<p>

When the sun rose back up, I could see the shadows of various adults as the walked pass our alley. A couple of them stood up straight, making them look like giants to me, as they had wore the finest of pure black suits that even shined in the sunlight, but those people were a rarity to see. For the most part, the people who passed our 'home' only wore ragged work clothes with crooked ties, and hung their heads down in sheer despair.

Since I was a curious kid, I wanted to see what those people were like, especially if they were willing to spare us some money or leftovers.

But when I was ready to place a single step into the sunlight, a hand grabbed me by the collar and instantly yanked me back.

"What're you doing Shoji!?" Sis asked me with a shout, revealing she was the one that yanked me back. "You know that we shouldn't go near any adults! What if they put us back in the place with those mean kids?"

"I-I know that Sis!" I replied with a frightened yelp before looking up at her, instead of cowering in one corner of the box like I usually did. "…But why can't we at least ask for some help? Or even just a little bit of food?"

The anger and irritation faded right off of Sis's face once I asked that. As her eyes widened and her lip began to tremble, her expression was soon filled with sheer dejection. Instead of telling me a direct answer, all she did was hug me tightly. In the process, I could hear a few muffled sobs coming from her mouth.

Once my eyes began to sting, I hugged her back in return. As I did so, I thought about the adults that continued to walk past our alleyway, and I realized an important detail. No matter how high and might, or low and miserable the adults looked, none of them peered within the alleyway, or our cardboard box, even if we were loud enough to be heard.

* * *

><p>Months passed as Sis and I stayed in that alley, each one growing colder than the last. It wasn't long until the first snowfall came to the city, rendering our cardboard home into nothing more than a pile of mush. Thankfully, it wasn't too difficult to find more trash to form into a shelter, but the icy winds that blew in went right through the filthy rags that we had for clothes.<p>

As the two of us were struggling to find the smallest bit of heat, I remember seeing constant streams of lights all over the city, including the occasional trees that were planted by the sidewalk. Various people continued to walk past the alleyway we were in, but they always came in pairs, and for some reason, they were constantly hugging and kissing one another. Sometimes, they even did so while they were walking.

…When I saw those couples strolling within a city of lights, a feeling of sheer sorrow bubbled up within me, making my eyes sting in the cold air. Especially when huddled back into the dark, dank, and freezing pile of garbage that my sister and I were living in.

After a while, I had grown accustomed to ignoring them, just like Sis usually did.

Until one day, where the street right outside of the alley was filled to the brim with people.

I hadn't seen such a big crowd before, and apparently, neither had Sis, since she was looking at it with just as much amazement as me.

Because of that, we both tiptoed our way through the alley, and peered our heads out to see what all of the commotion was about. Once we did, I could see some sort of pedestal set up in the middle of this mob, with a rather elderly and portly man standing behind it.

"My fellow citizens of Tatsumi Port Island," The man declared, with the giant speakers set up behind him carrying his voice across the wave of people. "As I'm sure you're aware, this last decade has been an utter catastrophe to both the economy, and your lives here in Iwatodai."

The people that Sis and I saw in the crowd were either nodding their heads, or lowering them down with a scowl in response. While Sis simply frowned as she heard what the big man said, I didn't know what to say or do. I mean, I wasn't even alive for a whole decade.

"I too, am deeply pained to see what has happened to our once proud and powerful country…" The man uttered as he clenched a fist, and a series of distressed wrinkles covered his face. "But fret not everyone, for the Kirijo Group will not stand to let this suffering continue!" He now shouted to the massive mob, making some of the people in it flinch back a bit. "That is why I stand here to declare the official beautification of not just Iwatodai, but all of Tatsumi Port Island!" The large man then raised his fist up high. "We shall rid ourselves of the filth that these lost years have given us, and return to our rightful place as one of the strongest and richest societies known to man!"

With that last statement, the entire crowd began cheering with sheer dynamism, making it sound like a festival was about to begin. As the cheering began to spread, Sis began to pull me back into the alleyway, and retreated to our home of garbage.

"Sis, what does beauti…beatifi…" The massive word kept twisting my tongue as I tried to ask her my question. "…what does it mean? Is it something good? It sounds an awful like beautiful after all." I smiled as I stated that.

Sis however, didn't answer right away, and only looked down at the concrete with a forlorn look in her eyes. Seeing that look in her eyes made my smile dissipate, and filled my tiny chest with worry.

"…Sis?" I took a hold of her arm, and shook it a little bit. "Is something wrong?"

Once she heard me, her eyes popped open in slight surprise, and she turned her view back at me. "Oh! I'm sorry Shoji…" She stated, her voice completely coated with an apologetic tone. I was about to ask her what was wrong again, until she placed a gentle hand on the top of my head. "But…yes, I'm sure it's something good." Sis said with a warm smile as she stroked my crimson hair. "But it won't happen overnight, so we have to be patient, okay?"

"Okay Sis!" I nodded happily as I had the biggest smile on my face, and then gave my sister a hug right around the torso. She was a bit taken aback at first, but soon hugged me right back. As I hugged her, I could feel warmth filling up my chest. At that moment, I wasn't sure what it was, but I found out later on.

It was hope.

* * *

><p>A few days had passed since that event, and Sis was out on another stroll for food again. Like usual, I stayed back and waited in the alleyway, ready to wait there for at least a few hours. This time though, she returned as soon as she left, and the only thing she brought back was a distressed look on her face.<p>

I was about to ask her what happened, but before I could, Sis placed her hand right over my mouth, and gave off a low 'shhh' right next to my ear. A couple seconds later, a human-shaped shadow crept into the alley, indicating that someone was out there. I couldn't see what the person looked like, but I understood exactly why Sis ran back here as quickly as she could.

Based on the person's shadow, they seemed to look around the alley from where they stood. After a while, I heard the crackle of a plastic bag, and the person walked away, with his shadow no longer occupying the alleyway.

Once they left, Sis took her hand off of my mouth, and took a cautious step out of the garbage we lived in to find a plastic bag sitting right outside the alley. It had the logo of a convenience printed on it, and it appeared to be full.

However, Sis left it alone, as if it was just another piece of litter on the sidewalk, and stepped back in, holding me close with a strong, but fearful grip.

We stayed right where we sat even as a truck slowly passed on the road we were close to. It appeared to be filled with fresh soil and the brightest of flowers. Soon enough, a dozen or so people in baggy clothes followed it, with each one of them carrying a trowel in a gloved hand. Overtime, I could hear the sound of the trowels digging through dry soil, while a low, masculine voice was leading them on what to do.

Hours had passed as they worked, with the sounds and voices growing more faint as time passed. Eventually, I couldn't hear them at all, and the shadow of the truck soon vanished out of sight.

Once it did, everything seemed to fall silent, and the alleyway was empty once again, with the exception of my sister and me. I couldn't tell if the silence was calming or disturbing, but I knew that it was something that I hadn't experienced, since I had lived most of my days listening to the constant rustling on the city.

When I began to wonder about this new experience, the silence was killed by the sound of footsteps, accompanied by the hum of a running car engine.

The sounds grew louder with each second, and before long, a new shadow found its way into our alley. This time, it seemed to belong to a slender young man. A large truck also seemed to come to a stop right behind him, and the man raised his hand up, holding a container of some sorts.

Without any hesitation, he threw the canister down the alleyway we were in, which soon made a loud clank, and a bizarre hissing sound. Sis reacted with a gasp, and practically slammed her hand over my mouth again. All the while, she held her own breath for as long as she could.

As the hissing continued, the entire alley filled up with a white smoke. I could hear several bodies from a ways away hit the ground with a soft slam as they fell, but not for long. My eyelids felt heavy already, and my head was even bopping back and forth a bit. Sis tried shaking my shoulder to keep me awake, but I soon felt her strength diminish as her grip weakened with each passing second. In mere seconds, her hands fell from both my shoulder and my mouth, and she collapsed right onto the concrete, right before my consciousness slipped away from me.

* * *

><p>When my eyes finally opened up again, all I could see was a mattress, held above me by a metal grid. The first thing that hit me was all of the noise going on. Without even turning my head, I could hear the worried mumbles of other kids in…wherever the hell I am, accompanied by the faint, but still noticeable barks and howls coming through the wall, from the next room over.<p>

"Shoji! Oh thank god!"

My eyes widened once I heard my sister's voice, riddled with relief. With a shake of my head to brush out the last of the cobwebs in there, I sit up and turn my head to the left, and see her standing by the bed I'm currently lying on.

Once I sat up though, my sister hugs me around the chest, and holds me close.

"You're okay! Thank goodness!" She said as she placed her chin right on my shoulder. "You have no idea how worried I was about what that gas might've done to you."

"S-Sis…" I muttered out with a slight stutter. I still wasn't entirely awake yet, so I wasn't sure what I should say to her at first. "…Where are we?"

As soon as I asked, my sister's arms suddenly lost all of the strength that they put into hugging me, and she broke the hug to simply stand by my bed again. "…I don't know…" Sis stated with all too much trepidation in her voice. She soon raised both of her arms up to embrace herself, as if she still felt in the freezing outside air cutting through her clothes.

When Sis hugged herself, that's when I noticed it. Behind her, there stood dozens of bunk beds, all lined up in a column, and made from nothing more than two mattresses and some metal. Around us were the countless kids that I heard earlier; they ranged from boys to girls, from little kids to early teens, but they all looked just a pitiable as Sis and I did from living off of the street.

As I saw all of the other kids either huddle to themselves on the beds, or wander around with the utmost confusion, my chest began to feel tight, as if my very ribcage was collapsing on my heart. It would take me several years to find out what that sensation truly was, so all I could do was let the feeling build inside me.

When I finally found out what that feeling was later in my life, it all made sense.

It was fear.

* * *

><p><em>Betcha didn't expect a fic as dark and grim as this one from me while I'm also writing Light Camera Featherman, eh?<em>

_*brickd*_

_But yeah, this is essentially my own take on Sho's backstory, with some extra stuff added in. Prolly the biggest so far being that Sho appears to have an older sister. Don't worry though, she's not an OC, and if you haven't figured out who she is already, you will eventually~_

_Now then, that's all from me atm, hope you enjoy Sho's shitty childhood!_

_*brickd again*_

_Persona 3, 4, Ultimax (c) Atlus_


	2. Chapter 2

My name is Shoji Yoshino.

I haven't lived any more than about half a decade, but in that short amount of time, my sister and I have lost our home, escaped from the Devil's Playground known as an orphanage, and scraped through the garbage of the city. We often did so just to make sure that we can fall asleep and wake up the next day.

But after whatever happened yesterday, we weren't sleeping in an alleyway, bleeding on the concrete of the city. We were within some sort of containment area, surrounded by children who were either one of our ages, or older.

As the two of us meandered around the place, losing count of the bunk beds that we ran across, I gripped onto Sis's clothing, fearful that I'd lose her amongst this massive crowd. The more people we passed by, the more claustrophobic I grew.

After a couple of minutes that felt like several months, the single front door to this area slowly opened up, revealing a tall man garbed in glasses, and a white coat. His long, brunette hair was kept back behind his ears, and his face almost appeared to be void of any honest expression.

The very minute that the man in the white coat took a step in, all of the children erupted in a flurry of worries and questions, asking about where we were, why we were here, where were their parents, and so on. As the kids were asking the man, they looked right up at him with faces etched with worry. Some of them even latched onto his coat and tugged on it as they asked him.

The white-coated man soon raised his hand up and snapped his fingers, giving off the loudest of snaps. As it echoed across the enormous room, all of the kids let go of his coat, and quieted down. Some of them, including myself, even shuddered a bit as they heard the echo of the snap linger on.

"Now children," The man said in a calm and composed tone of voice. "I understand that you must all be confused about where you are and what's going on…" Once he pushed his glasses up, a smile grew on the man's face. "But you can relax. The Kirijo Group knows that you were struggling within the city's streets and alleyways, so we only wish to treat you all with the best of care."

A few quiet gasps came from some of the other kids, as well as a few expressions of uncertainty.

"Now then…" The man then placed a hand in his pocket before pulling out some sort of remote. He then pressed a button on it, and the wall at the very back of the room suddenly started to make noise. Eventually, it even began to move, and split into two massive doors opening up. Beyond them was a massive field with the greenest of grass growing from it, and a bright blue sky above it. "Why don't you all get some fresh air?"

Some of the kids ran outside right away, some of them slowly trotted their way out, but others, which included Sis and I, didn't move an inch. Instead, the two of us looked back at the man in the white coat. When we did, we saw that he hadn't budged either. He just stood there, holding onto the remote as the glare of the sunlight covered his glasses, which kept his eyes from being seen.

Soon, he veered his attention towards the two of us, to which I hid behind my sister a bit.

"Children, why don't you go out and play?" He asked us with a smile. "I promise, nothing bad will happen to you."

Sis only sighed a bit, while I just gripped onto her clothing, afraid to move away from her. Sis seemed to notice that, and softly patted my head.

"Don't worry Shoji…" She whispered as she looked down at me with a reassuring smile. "Just stay close to me, alright? I won't let any more mean kids hurt you."

Her words didn't quell_ every_ worry inside of me, but they did allow my legs to move again, and follow her to the outside field. I had to squint my eyes when the bright sunlight hit my face, but after a wile, they managed to adjust, and I could finally see all of the bright blue sky above me; not just the fragment I saw between the buildings in the alleyway. I also saw the waves of green grass stretch out for what looked like forever to me. Each time I took a step, I could hear each blade softly crunching underneath my feet, and feel the softness of it across my skin, rather than the rough and rocky concrete I had grown accustomed to.

All of the other kids around us did a variety of things; some of them simply walked around the field while clenching their hands in distress, others began to sprint across it with joy, and a few of the children seemed to just sit in the dirt, picking at some of the blades of grass by themselves.

One kid however, tripped and fell right in front of us, causing a quick 'eek!' out of me. He lifted his head up, and hastily spat out the dirt that got pushed into his mouth.

"Ah! Are you alright?" Sis stated as she knelt down, and offered the boy a hand. He then seemed to squint at Sis, and took her offered hand, standing up to reveal the mess of dirt and grass stains on his tattered clothes.

"Y-yeah…" The boy muttered in response as he brushed some of the dirt off of him. Looking at him again, the boy appeared to be around the same age as Sis, while a mop of bright blue hair rested on his head. "Thank you…um…"

"Chidori." Sis told her with a friendly grin. She then placed a hand back on top of my head. "And this little one here is Shoji, my younger brother."

"Oh, nice to meet you both!" He said in a chipper tone of voice, and then smiled at the two of us. "My name's Jin."

While Sis smiled back at Jin, I just hid behind her again. I was one heck of a shy kid like that.

"Uh, sorry about tripping in front of you guys like that." He stated apologetically while rubbing the back of his head. "My eyesight's pretty bad, and I didn't notice that I stepped into a ditch there…"

"Hey, don't worry." Sis told him with a small chuckle, and a wave of her hand. "It's not your fault that you couldn't see how you fell after all."

I could've sworn that I saw a shade of pink spread across Jin's face once he heard my sister's response. I couldn't help but at least chuckle at that.

* * *

><p>After about an hour had passed outside, all of us kids were brought inside by a legion of men wearing white coats. We were put back into the containment area we woke up in, and stayed there until a swarm of people pushed a bunch of rollers into the massive room. Each roller carried a plastic tray of rice, soup, and a piece of bread, and one tray was handed of to each kid, including Sis and me.<p>

Once the tray of food was placed in front of me, I began eating with sheer gusto, not even remembering the last full meal I had. The taste of the bread was a vast improvement over the half-loaves I ate in the alley, and both the rice and the soup were still warm.

"Sis! Isn't this-" I immediately halted my question when I saw that Sis was just looking at her tray, while her food remained untouched. All the while, a look of despondency emanated from her eyes.

"Sis…?" I asked worriedly, which made her eyes widen up in slight surprise before she looked back at me.

"O-oh…" Sis muttered softly. She then grew a weak smile, and took a hold of her piece of bread. "…Yes, it's great Shoji."

As she slowly nibbled on the bread, I couldn't help but worry about her. As a result, my own food grew cold.

* * *

><p>In the evening, a pair of the men in those coats came out from the one small door on the side, and scouted the place until they found the kid that they were looking for.<p>

Usually, they asked which 'number' the kid was. At first, I was confused about what they meant, until I saw a set of three numbers tattooed onto my inner forearm. In order, they spelled out '#037', in what looked like thick black ink. When the adults seemed to have found who they were looking for, I looked over to Sis, and immediately witnessed the look of horror across her face once she noticed her tattoo as well. It said '#036' respectively.

Once she saw it, she placed her palm over it, and rubbed the inked bit of her skin harshly. However, the array of numbers didn't fade, or even smudge. I was about to ask her what was wrong…

"Number 36, Number 37, it's your turns now."

Until I flinched back at the sight of those two men in white, towering above our bottom bunk. They too were wearing glasses, whose glare seemed to cover up their eyes, and a clipboard occupied their hands.

Sis looked reluctant to move as well, but she eventually did, and stood up from the bed. I immediately stood up as well, and held my sister's hands tightly, so that one of the men in the white coats wouldn't have to hold one of mine.

Once we were up and standing, one man placed a hand on Sis's shoulder, sending a shiver down her spine. We then began to walk across the alleys of bunk beds before going past the door; that's when I first saw the gigantic horizontal hallway, that our containment was only one of the rooms beyond its endless array of doors.

But before I could even widen my eyes in response, Sis was pulled away by one of the men in white, taking her to one of the rooms to the left. She struggled and yelled at him to let go, but the man acted as if he didn't hear a pip, and continued on.

"Sis!" I yelled out in response, but was soon pulled away by the remaining man in the white coat. The more that I tired to yank my hand out of his grip, the tighter it grew, making my hand grow number with each yank.

Once the man reached one of the doors on the far right, he opened it right up and walked right in, taking me with him.

"Don't worry lil guy." He told me with a calm tone of voice, one that clearly contrasted his tight grip around my wrist. "As soon as we're done with your daily procedure, you can see your sister again."

My eyes shot open in immediate confusion; what did he mean by 'procedure'? What did 'daily' stand for?

Before I could ask either of those questions, the man hoisted me up with both of his hands, and placed me on an exam table. He then reached into something beneath the table, and pulled out his equipment; a cluster of wires with rubber suctions at the end of them, and a full canister of a bizarre blue gel.

"Now stay still." The man said assertively, and I didn't dare to disobey him. Once I was completely still, he popped the lid off of the canister, and scooped out a handful of gel. He then slapped the gel right into my hair, and began to swerve his hand around, spreading the stuff all across my scalp. I couldn't help but shudder as he did so, since the gel carried an icy sting across my skin, but thankfully, he didn't seem to notice, and lifted his now aquamarine hand out of my hair.

The man quickly grabbed a paper towel to clean his hand off, and then took a hold of the wires that he also pulled out. As he pressed one hand against my back to make sure I was sitting up, he pressed the suction cup of each individual wire against my skull in a grueling process, until each one was finally secure.

That's when he walked back to the door, and left. At that moment in time, nobody except for me was currently in the room, so I rose up my leg so that I could get down from this table and leave…

"Uh-uh-uh. Your procedure isn't done yet little man."

…Until I froze at the sound of the man who had just left the room. His voice sounded as though it was coming through some sort of speaker.

In response, I laid back down on the exam table, afraid to move. As minutes passed, I just laid there in complete silence, with my mouth closed, my breathing heavy, and my body ever so slightly trembling.

That's when it finally happened.

I felt a quick jolt travel across my skull, and everything that I saw suddenly became a sickly green. My body felt as heavy as lead, and I heard a crawling sound from beneath me, accompanied by the thick breaths of what sounded like a swarm of monsters.

All of those sensations combined made my heart beat like a jackhammer. They only grew worse as each second passed, as the atmosphere of the emerald coated room made it hard for me to breath. I desperately wanted to yank off all of these wires on my head and run away, but with each fraction of a second that passed in this place, my muscles grew weaker and weaker, until it felt like I wasn't even in my own body.

The sounds that surrounded me grew even louder than before, as if those monsters were in the same room as me. I tried to close my eyes and pretend that I didn't hear it, but whenever I did, the sight of piercing red eyes greeted me. As such, all I could do was lay there, and let all of the chaos around me unfold.

"Okay, we're finished!"

The man's voice from before cut through the crawling noises, and, in a flash, the room returned back to normal. No ugly green shade that coated the walls, no sounds of snarls right by my ears, and, after I check by flexing my hand, no immense sense of pressure on my body.

"Excellent job Number 37!" The man in the white coat exclaimed as he came through the door, and walked back into the room. "You were one of the best behaved patients yet!"

I could only pant as I slowly caught my breath, and the man in white walked up with a grin. He then yanked the rubber disks off of my head individually until all that remained was the leftover gel that got stuck in my hair. The man then hoisted me off of he exam table, and placed me in a small chair that was right in front of a sink. Once he turned on the faucet, he pushed my head back into the rushing water.

My body furiously shivered from the instant rush of cold water across my scalp, even after the water had stopped. I raised my head back up, only to be greeted with a towel to the face, and a harsh rub across my head. A part of me was even worried that the skin on my head would scrape right off as a result.

The towel session ended as soon as it started, and the man in the white coat lifted the cloth from my head, and lifted me up to my feet with a hold of my shoulder.

"Now you can go see your sister." He stated as we approached the door.

Once I heard those words, my face lit up with surprise.

The adult opened the door right up, and sure enough, Sis was already standing right by the wall in front of me.

"Sis!" I shouted out with joy, and ran up to hug her around the torso. Nuzzling my cheek into her abdomen, I anticipated a returning hug and a calming ruffle of my hair.

But it didn't come.

The joyous smile on my face began to fade, and I looked up at my sister's face. When I did, I saw the expression of sheer terror that was practically frozen on her face. Her unblinking eyes stayed wide, staring down at the floor instead of me.

"…Sis?" I asked with distress, and waved a hand in front of her face. After a few waves, Sis' eyes finally blinked again, and widened up once they finally saw me.

That's when she finally hugged with back with a pair of trembling arms. As she did, the man in white next to us placed his hands on our shoulders, and began leading us back to the containment area that the other kids were in.

Once we reached the door, the man in white opened it up, and lifted his hands up, leaving up to simply wander back to our bed.

"Number 38, Number 39, you're up now." He called out plainly, as if he was calling someone over for a bit of chitchat.

As he did, Sis and I just meandered back to our bed, and laid out on it.

I let out a low groan as I rested my head on the pillow; my eyes were burning, and I felt like my head was going to crack open at any second.

I tried to close my eyes to relieve the immense pain…

**_"Ari…bla..k qu…een. We sha… fe…unt…l…thhn… F..as…t feaa…st…Feeeast!"_**

…But I opened them immediately after, once I witnessed the red-eyed monstrosity from before, speaking utter nonsense, and baring the sharpest of teeth.

As my heart rapidly beat against my ribcage, I looked up towards Sis, and saw the same pair of cold, unmoving eyes on her face. All the while, her hands shook with fear, and gripped onto the thin sheets.

All I could do at that point was huddle up next to her, and hope that I'd eventually fall asleep without that…_thing _appearing again. The air within this place was just as cold as the nighttime air in the old alleyway, and as more kids returned from their 'procedures', more bated breaths filled the room.

* * *

><p>How did I ever fall asleep that night? Heh, you tell me. I remember waking up to the sound of my sister's voice in the morning, but everything before that was a complete mystery.<p>

Ever since I woke up again, each day fell into a pattern.

In the morning, each child was given a small bowl of rice, in order to ensure that we wouldn't starve until dinner. We were then released back into the massive field to 'get some fresh air' like the men in white always repeated to us. Sis and I usually just walked around like we did the day before, but there were a few instances where Sis couldn't keep her eyelids open, and nearly fell to the ground as a result.

She usually caught herself before she hit the dirt and shrugged it off with a chuckle, but I still felt a sting of concern for her. I remembered what she was like after her 'procedure', so I doubted that she got a single wink of sleep.

Fortunately though, Jin managed to find us again, and stuck to the two of us like glue. His friendly demeanor helped to put a smile on our faces, even when the blue-haired boy was about to trip on the ground again.

However, the evenings weren't so painless. The procedures constantly continued, subjugating us to those viridescent nightmares every single night. With each one, the glare of the green light grew harsher, the noises of the monsters grew louder, and the immense pain that crawled across my body grew worse with each session.

Some of the men clad in white told me that I'd get used to it, but that was a dirty, rotten lie. There wasn't a single second where I ever felt 'used' to that torment. Whenever I braced myself for the worst, I _got_ the worst, so no sense of preparation ever alleviated the experience.

With each passing night, the nightmares grew longer than the last, even after the procedure had ended. I couldn't even sleep through it because of the constant noises of those monstrosities rattling around.

But those weren't even the worst of my nightmares.

One day, all of the men in white entered the containment room in a straight line, but they didn't bring any food, or open up the back doors to the field. Instead, they walked up to a couple of the kids, one at a time, and told them to come along. The men then took the children by the hand, and dragged them out of the room to who knows where.

Soon, one of the men approached Sis and me.

"Come along Number 36."

My eyes widened with distress. I knew that they meant Sis. When I looked back at her, I saw that she was horrified by the man's statement as well.

The man then forcefully took her hand and tried to pull her off of the bed, but Sis yanked her hand back.

"No! I can't leave my brother behind!" She shouted as her eyes shot a harsh glare at the older man.

In response, the man simply looked over to one of the adults clad in white. "Hey Shuji, a lil help over here?" He called out nonchalantly. "Number 36 is being stubborn."

His request called over the other man in an instant. Once they were both standing over Sis, the second man pulled out a canister from his coat, and used it to blast a white smoke in her face. In a mere second, Sis's eyelids closed up, and she fell right on the bed, completely limp as the men in white then lifted her up, and began to carry her to the door.

"S-sis!" I stuttered out in a panicked voice, and quickly stood up myself before running towards the men that were carrying Sis away.

"Let her go! Sis said she didn't wanna go, didn't she!?" I yelled out to the men as I yanked on their coattails. Despite my attempts though, the two men in white just kept on walking towards the door, as if I wasn't even there.

One of the men then opened the door up, even while he was carrying my sister, and walked through the open door, with the second man following in suite. I tried to squeeze my way out as well, but the second man in white saw right through me, and kicked me back into the room with the back of his foot. Once that man stepped into the hallway, he grabbed the knob, and slammed the door shut.

That didn't stop me though, since I ran right back up to the door, and slammed on it with my fist.

"Come back here!" I yelled at the top of my lungs. "Give me back my sister!" Soon, I was pummeling on the door with both of my fists. I kept at it for what felt like hours, until both of my hands were almost completely red. At that point, I lifted up one leg, and began kicking the door instead, even with the barest of feet. When my foot became a swelling shade of red, similar to my hands, I lifted up the other leg instead, and only continued to assault the door with kicks.

I kept on kicking the door, ignoring the immense soreness crawling over my hands and feet, but after one especially hard kick, I only managed to lose my own balance, and fell to the cement floor with a loud thud.

As I gritted my teeth from the pain crawling all over my back, I saw the same, gray ceiling that hung above all of us, and the kids looking down at me from the top bunks, letting out a few gasps from where they laid. That's when I realized it; as I was trying to break down the door, all of the remaining kids saw me, but they didn't do anything to help me. Hell, some of the kids didn't even look at me, they were just covering their ears in an attempt to ignore me.

As I stared up at the ceiling, my eyes began to sting, and throat felt like it was closing up. Soon, that stinging sensation was replaced with moistness, and tears fell from the corners of my eyes.

Before long, a sob left my throat, and grew into a loud wail as more droplets trickled from my eyes. After my body felt like it was thrown into a meat tenderizer, and my vision completely blurred from the constant stream of tears, I finally comprehended what just happened.

Sis was taken away, leaving me completely alone.

I was ready to curl up into a ball and stay forever motionless, until the slow creek of the door made me pick my head right back up.

When I looked back at the door, I saw one of the adults that carried off Sis. This was the one with the long brunette hair, and the glasses that covered up his eyes.

"What's with all the ruckus?" He asked out in an irate tone as he adjusted his glasses.

At that moment, I didn't hesitate; I scrambled right back up onto my feet, and grabbed onto his coat.

"Mister, the girl you just took away was my sister!" I shouted up at him, while my eyes were still soggy. "I-I can't live without her… She's been there for me for my whole life!" My voice began to waver as I spoke, and I fell to my knees while I clung on to the man's coattails. "Please…please give her back…"

My head drooped down as I just barely got the words out of my mouth. The only thing I could see was the blurred vision of the floor beneath me, so I didn't even see his face. As such, I slightly froze from shock when I felt a large hand rest on my shoulder. When I picked my head back up, I saw the man in white smiling at me.

"Well, I'm normally not one for bending the rules…" He said with a grin as he looked right into my eyes. "…But I think I can make an exception for you, if you're willing to do a simple favor for me."

"O-oh! Yes!" I responded immediately with a nod of agreement. "I'll do anything, I swear!"

The man's grin grew when he heard me say that.

"Good." He offered his hand out to me. "Come along then."

I instantly took a hold of his hand, and was led out of the room, back into the hallway. The man then led me towards a room to the left, instead of the room to the right where I got my procedures. Once he unlocked the door, he walked right in, taking me with him.

The very minute that I saw the room, I was filled with confusion. Sis wasn't here; in fact, nobody was. The only thing I saw was a giant exam table, one that was much bigger than my usual one, and a countertop at the end of the room.

Before I could even ask anything about it though, the man in white hoisted me right up, and placed me right on the table. As he walked over to the countertop, the cold steel of the exam table sent a chill across my skin.

"Damn budget cuts… Leaving us with nothing but laughing gas for shit like this…" The man muttered as he rummaged through one of the cupboards for something. I didn't know what he meant, but I definitely saw the deep scowl on his face as he said it.

Once he pulled out what looked like a white fire hydrant, the scowl on his face slowly faded away, and he carried a small tray over to a table next to me. On the tray, there was a glass disk containing a small glowing…_thing_, a few band-aids, and two full syringes labeled 'MOA-A' and 'IGF-1' respectively.

"Now then Number 37…" The man smirked while he picked up one of the syringes with his gloved hands. "These are just the basic injections. If you're really that scared of needles, just don't look." The tip of the needle on the syringe shined in the harsh lighting of the room.

I could feel my heart pumping through my ribs just from the sight of that needle. As such, I did what the man told me, and closed my eyes shut. I didn't know what hurt worse though; the tight squeezing of my eyelids, or the needle piercing the skin right over my veins _twice_.

Once the man strapped the band-aids over the bleeding punctures that the syringes left on my arms, he knelt down to the floor, and picked up some sort of hose that was connect to the white hydrant. At the end of the hose, there was a weird looking mask that the man placed over my mouth.

Soon, I heard an odd hiss within the room, and the air began to smell funny. As I breathed it in, my entire throat tingled with the most bizarre sensation. Before long, my entire body grew somewhat numb, while my limbs felt as heavy as lead.

Then I heard a dark chuckle from the man in white.

"Don't worry Number 37." He said before he stood over me, holding a scalpel right above my head. As the scalpel's blade glistened in the intense light, I finally saw his eyes through the glasses. They were completely wide, and outright wild. "This won't hurt a bit."

Despite his words, dread rattled around in my skull when I saw the knife lower. My eyes closed shut once it pierced my skin, and slowly cut right across my forehead. It didn't hurt as much as I expected, but I still felt a faint bit of pain spread through my face.

I couldn't exactly see what he was doing, but I could definitely tell that he was slicing my skin. When the blood began to seep out and trickle down my head, the man in white picked up a white pad, and wiped it right up. With each clean slice, he slowly pulled on the skin with his fingers, as if he was preparing to lift it right off of my face.

Every time he did that, I held my breath, resisting the urge to mewl in agony. Even though I couldn't move my body, I still felt twinges of pain with each swift slice of the scalpel. I couldn't even blink, because a new trail of crimson always dribbled from the open cuts. Even the slightest twitch could've sent the blood trickling into my eyes.

The man then lifted the scalpel up, which dripped a single bead of blood, and placed it back on the tray. Afterwards, he picked up an entirely new scalpel; this one was connected to an electrical cord, and the blade began to vibrate after the man pressed a button on it.

He lowered the scalpel back down to my face, where a low buzzing sound could be heard as it cut through my very bone. My heart began racing as he did so, but because of the gas, I could only twitch my fingers in response. With each passing minute, the buzzing of the blade rung in my ears, while the man continued to cut through my skull.

After who knows how long, the wild-eyed man lowered his fingers, and picked up an entire piece of bone up from my face. My stomach twisted into knots when I saw the bone, complete with small bits of flesh still stuck to it.

He placed it on the tray, right on top of all the bloodied gauzes. After putting the scalpel down as well, his hands reached for the disk on the tray, and twisted the lid open. Inside, the glowing object revealed itself to be a small crystalline shard, pulsating with a bright blue light.

Once the man placed the lid back down on the tray, his free hand reached for a pair of tweezers, and used them to pick up the shard. He suspended the item right over my face for a while, right before shoving it right into my head with a '_squish'_.

Just the sudden shock alone made me yelp, not even counting the stream of pain that shot through my entire, immovable body. The only thing that kept my squeal brief was the intense glare that came from the man's wild eyes.

After his eyes settled, the man clad in white used the tweezers to pick up the piece of bone he carved out of me. In his other hand, he held a full spool of wire with a curved needle at the end. Using his right hand first, he fit the bone piece back into place on my head, before pulling out the needle and extending the wire.

Clasping the curved needle with the tweezers, the man stabbed the sharp piece of metal right through my skull, leaving a small hole for the needle to go through. After tying the wire up into a knot, he made another hole in my skull, and tied another knot over it. The process kept on repeating for who knows how long, all while I couldn't see what he was doing. From my perspective, it appeared as if he was sewing me together right after he took me apart.

Once he finished suturing my bones back into place, he snipped the last leftover wire, and got to work on my skin. The man tugged and pulled at every inch of my face until was finally sewn back together. When he finished, the adult then pulled out and full kit, and wrapped my head up with the tightest of bandages, sealing up both my forehead and my eyes.

"Alright, we're finished." He finally told me as the crinkling of latex hit my ears, which must've meant that he was taking his gloves off. I couldn't see anything through the thick bandages, but I definitely felt the plastic mask being lifted up from my face. "If all goes as planned, you'll obtain the potential just like your sister did."

"S-sister?" I muttered with shock while the man carefully lifted me up from the table. "Does that mean I can go see her then? Please?"

A friendly chuckle left the man's throat. "Of course it does."

A smile spread across my face. "Oh, thank you! Thank you so m-Aagh!" I let out a quick shriek when the man placed me back down on the ground, where I almost immediately lost my balance.

"Careful now little one." The man said, quickly grasping my hand. "You'll need to _watch_ out for yourself a lot more, since your eyes are going to be covered up until your skull completely heals!" His hearty laughter at his own terrible joke filled the room.

The door clicked as it opened up, and the adult led me down the rest of the hallway, while I hung onto his hand for dear life.

After we walked up a flight of stairs, the man came to a stop within a new hall, where I heard the muttering and moaning of several kids. When the slow creek of a door opening soon followed, I was pushed right in, and fell right on the thick floor of concrete.

"Now get your rest Number 37." The man told me with another laugh in his voice, before he closed the door with a slam.

I just tried to stand back up, while my head felt like it was going to split open at any time. My entire body riddled with pain, and the constant groans and cries of the other kids bombarded my ears.

"…Shoji…?"

Until I picked my head up at the sound of my sister's voice.

I was then pulled over to the side, right into a tight hug. As I listened to a flurry of sobs, I reached a single hand out, and felt the long, flowing hair of my sister.

"S-sis…" I mumbled as my hands began to shake, and hugged Sis right back. "You're here… you're really here…!"

Despite my utter joy, Sis didn't respond. She only kept hugging me tightly, and cried against my shoulder.

* * *

><p><em>TAKE THAT SUPER SMASH BROS. ON 3DS, YOUR GRIP ON MY LIFE COULDN'T LAST FOREVER!<em>

_*shot dead*_

_But yeah, FINALLY got Chapter 2 up now; this time illustrating on when and how Sho got the X-shaped scar on his face, and how **exactly** the Plume of Dusk got inside him. (Granted, they were prolly no-brainers after all of the events in Ultimax, but still, drama and what have you)_

_As well as fully explaining that, yes, Sho's older sister is Chidori Yoshino from Persona 3. This theory/headcanon was suggested by a good friend of mine (Who is known best as Hachet-Lolita on Tumblr), and it's pretty much stuck ever since then, because, well, it makes sense given both of their origins, no?_

_Anyway, that's all from me now. See ya soon!_

_Persona 3, 4, Ultimax (c) Atlus_


	3. Chapter 3

_UPFRONT WARNING: This chapter contains strong elements and scenes of child abuse (Thus the change in the story's rating). If that's a sensitive subject for you, I wouldn't recommend reading this chapter (Or at least the last scene of it)._

* * *

><p>Ever since my eyes were bandaged up, I was as blind as a wingless bat. I couldn't walk anywhere without clenching onto Sis's arm, I ended up spilling most of the food I was given instead of eating it, and whenever I tripped and fell, I couldn't even stand back up. The ground below me was like a black void, while my limbs were practically invisible. Until Sis hauled me back up on my feet, I felt like a bug crawling around in the lowest of dirt.<p>

I couldn't even see the sunlight of the open field. Not just because of the thick bandages, but because the man in the white coat, who called himself Ikutsuki, took me away when the rest of the kids were taken outside. No matter how many times my sister lashed out at him, he always yanked me away into the same room as before. I was never sure what Ikutsuki did to me, but I always felt pieces of cold metal touching my skin, or a tight cuff constricting my arm.

I asked him why I couldn't go outside with Sis and the others, but the only response he gave me was a low chuckle, followed by "You still need to fill out that simple favor for me, remember?"

I felt a chill travel inside me once I heard his words. I didn't forget about that 'simple favor', but Ikutsuki didn't specify anything about it. What favor did I have to do? When was I going to do it? Was the favor being taken in to this room to let Ikutsuki poke and prod me with metal and wires? If so, why did he take me here day after day?

Questions like those filled my head, which was already in enough pain as it was. Every time I so much as took a step, my head felt like it was ready to explode into a million pieces. When I stood still, my brain felt pounded within my skull, while my heartbeat filled my ears. I didn't know what that crystal shard was doing to me, but it made my entire cranium feel like a tiny seed in the middle of a massive nutcracker.

After the most recent session with Ikutsuki, he escorted me back to the room with the other kids, and let me meander my way inside.

Before I could even latch onto the wall to feel my way into the room, Sis pulled me right into a tight embrace. I didn't know what she was doing, but she seemed to stand in front of Ikutsuki for a few seconds, before the older man let out a chuckle, and closed the door.

I heard Sis let out a sigh once the door closed, and she led me further into the room. When she hoisted me onto a mattress, I discovered that she took me to one of the bottom bunks.

"Shoji, what's going on?" Sis asked me, her voice riddled with concern as she placed a hand on my cheek. "Why're you always going who knows where with that man?"

"And he always takes you when the rest of us go outside." A different, but familiar voice said with worry. It didn't take me long to remember that it was Jin's voice. "What's wrong Shoji?"

"U-Um…" I stuttered like an idiot. I vividly remembered how much she cried when I was reunited with her, so I already knew that she wouldn't be happy to hear about what the man did to me ever since then. "Well, Mr. Ikutsuki told me that I still need to do a favor for him, since he let me stay here with you Sis."

"You're telling me that torturing you day after day is his definition of a favor!?" Sis yelled out, causing me to flinch back in fear. I didn't know what to say to her, so I could only shiver in place on the bed.

A few seconds of silence passed between us, until I heard a mournful sigh, and was hugged right around the chest.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to snap at you Shoji…" Sis softly whispered. "…I'm just angry at the man who keeps hurting you." Her grip on me then began to tighten, while my shoulder grew damp. "And I'm angry at myself for not being able to stop him..."

As her sobs echoed in my ears, I was at a loss of what to say that would cheer her up. Most of the things I could've said were just blatant lies, so I simply hugged Sis right back, and softly rubbed her back. That was what she did for me on the coldest of nights in that alleyway.

After about a minute had passed, I remembered that Jin was sitting with us as well.

"…Jin? Are you still having trouble seeing stuff?" I asked him, remembering how he tripped on the ground the first time I met him.

"W-wh…" He stuttered at first. I couldn't see his expression, but I'm pretty sure it was one of sheer bewilderment. "Why're you asking _me_ that when you're practically blind right now?" He asked loudly. The reminder that I was 'blind' sent a sharp sting through my chest, even though I knew he didn't mean to cause that. He didn't seem to realize it either, as I heard his voice echoing down the rest of the room, calling for some 'Takaya' person.

While Sis just kept on hugging me, a set of footsteps slowly grew closer with each step, coming to a stop right next to me.

"Are you Shoji?" A new, but calm and tender voice asked me.

I didn't speak, but I did nod into Sis's shoulder.

"I see…" He muttered in a despondent tone. Afterwards, I felt a hand being softly placed on my shoulder. "Well first off, nice to meet you Shoji." The new voice told me. No doubt that his words came through a smile. "My name's Takaya."

"Uh…um…" I stuttered like a moron. Even after all of the procedures with the men in white and the sessions with Ikutsuki, I wasn't any better at being social.

"Haha, relax little guy." Takaya chuckled. "I didn't mean to put you on the spot."

I let out a 'huh?' in surprise. Usually, whenever I stuttered in front of someone who wasn't Sis, they told me to either hurry up, or quiet down. Shortly after that quick 'huh', I heard Takaya shifting a bit to the right, where Jin was sitting on the mattress.

"But... is it true that he's being taken away each day?" The new boy whispered to the side. Jin let out a 'mm', which must've meant that he nodded. The two then continued to mutter to one another about bizarre details, like when Ikutsuki came in, and how he approached me.

Once Takaya let out a despondent moan, he shifted back to Sis and me.

"Chidori, Shoji…" I felt another hand rubbing my back as he spoke. "I think we've got an idea going."

"What?" Both Sis and I uttered at the same time. Sis even loosened her embrace around me, which definitely meant that even she was surprised.

"What kind of idea…?" I asked out in curiosity, only to be answered by a sly snicker.

"An ambush, that's what." Takaya responded cheerfully. "A crummy scientist might be able to take away a kid with bandages over his eyes, but I doubt he could handle three of 'em holding him back."

I heard a gasp of slight astonishment from Sis, and one of sheer amazement from Jin.

"That's a great idea Takaya!" He happily exclaimed. "I knew I could count on you for help!"

"Oh c'mon, you're being too kind Jin." The other boy said with a chuckle of embarrassment, while I could hear the faint rustling of hair. "But yeah, is that alright with you two?"

Sis let out a small 'mm', signifying a nod, but I stayed silent. As my heartbeat rung in my ears like usual, my head filled up with thoughts and questions. For one, Ikutsuki may have caused me to turn out like this, but he was the only one who listened to me in the first place. If it wasn't for him, I'd probably still be stuck in the last room, crying up a storm until my voice completely blew out. Taking that into consideration, he'd probably still listen to any other request that I had, as long as it didn't involve me…

"Shoji?" Takaya abruptly asked. "Are you alright?"

His question pulled me back into reality, to which I shook my head a bit to make sure that I'd stay there. Once I was, I remembered Takaya stating the 'ambush', and specifying how it'd work.

"…It's alright." I finally muttered. "But, could I just ask for something?"

"Oh, of course sweetheart." Takaya answered in a caring tone of voice, which actually reminded of my sister's. "What is it?"

"…Could I just have one more session with Mr. Ikutsuki?" Once I asked that, I already heard an array of gasps around me. I wasn't even surprised to hear them. In fact, I was expecting them. "I…I want to ask him for one last thing."

"A-ask him?" Jin stuttered in shock. "Ask him for what?"

"Ask him to help you out with your bad eyesight." I chuckled a bit as I answered back. "I don't think things have been any easier for you after all."

"Wh-wha…" The blue-haired boy stammered out in response. If it weren't for the serious situation we were all in, I probably would've laughed. "Shoji, you…!"

"Alright then." Takaya blurted, making both Jin and Sis gasp in response. Even I was a bit perplexed by the immediate agreement.

After saying that, he then placed a hand on my shoulder. "You have a true heart of gold Shoji, and I can't argue against that." He stated in the same kind tone of voice he used before. "Just…make sure that you stay safe, okay?"

"Okay." I answered back, smiling as I did so.

* * *

><p>The next day came within the blink of an eye. ...Or, at least it would've, if mine weren't still covered up.<p>

Like usual, Ikutsuki came into the room, right before the rest of the kids were to be taken outside, calling for my number.

A shiver crawled across my skin at first, but I still got up, and stood right where I was, waiting for him. As the adult took my hand and led me to the door, I heard a few pained breaths from Jin, Takaya, and most definitely Sis.

Once we reached the room, he plopped me onto what I felt to be an exam table. Given the clanking of metals that I heard soon after, he must've been rummaging through his supplies.

"Um…" I muttered again. My tongue felt like it was going to tie itself into a knot. "…Mr. Ikutsuki?"

"Oh?" He uttered in sheer curiosity, and the clanking came to a stop. "What is it Number 37?"

"Well, I want to ask something." I stated, keeping my head down even though I couldn't see. "My friend Jin has a really hard time seeing stuff…"

"Jin?" Ikutsuki asked. I could already imagine him raising an eyebrow at the name. "Has a hard time seeing… Oh! You mean Number 48? The little butterfingers with the blue hair?" He laughed a bit at the mocking description he gave of Jin, but I didn't think it was that funny. Jin got hurt a lot because of his poor eyesight after all.

"Y-yeah…" I nodded quickly. "He's really nice to me and Sis, so…" I crossed my legs as a shiver traveled through my entire body. No doubt I was nervous as hell to ask him for my favor. "…Could you please fix his sight?" I asked, even raising my head up to where I heard Ikutsuki's voice. "Please?"

The first response I got was a drawn out 'hrmm…' from the older man. No doubt that he was stroking his chin, since he always did that when he was pondering about something.

"…Well, I don't know if I'm allowed to spend that kind of time and money on just one child…" He muttered. That response alone made me hang my head down low again, until I felt a hand ruffle my hair. "…But, since you asked oh so nicely, I'll make an exception."

Just that one answer left my mouth hang open with shock, and picked my head right back up. Soon, a smile perked up at the edges on my mouth.

"Thank you so much Mr. Ikutsuki!" I declared in absolute glee, and heard a calm chuckle right afterwards.

"Oh please, 'Mr. Ikutsuki' is far too formal." The man stated as he gently patted my cheek. "Just call me 'Dad', okay?"

That made me even more surprised. For as long as I could remember, the only family I had was my older sister, so I didn't have anyone to call a 'Dad'. Heck, sometimes I wondered if I ever had a Dad at all.

"O-okay…" I said with a nod. Soon, I couldn't help but smile as well. "…Dad."

"That's more like it!" Ikutsuki answered in the happiest of voices. "And here, since you've been such a well-mannered little boy."

Before I could ask what he meant, Ikutsuki put his hand in mine, and placed something in my palm. It felt a bit like metal, but it was for too light to be it.

"Oh, sorry, do you need a _hand_?" The adult said with a snicker, and placed his hands back into mine. After a little bit of crinkling, the thing in my hand no longer felt like metal. Instead, it felt smooth, and seemed to slowly melt within my fingers.

"Go on, have a bite." Ikutsuki told me. "After all, I have yet to meet a child who disliked chocolate."

Chocolate? Was that some kind of food? I never heard of it before, since the food that Sis scrounged up in the alleyway was scarce at best. Regardless, I took a small bite out of the chocolate, like Ikutsuki told me to.

My eyes instantly widened in astonishment. The taste was an incredible sweetness unlike anything I ever ate before, while the milky chocolate melted in my mouth. It was like a cascade of incredible flavor went across my tongue, making me eat the rest of the chocolate in gusto.

"Well now, you look like the happiest kid on Earth now." Ikutsuki stated as he ruffled my hair again. Even without my eyes, I could tell that he was smiling down at me. "Now stay still."

Once I felt the wet cotton ball drape across my arm, I knew exactly what he meant. My eyes instinctively winced shut, as I prepared for the massive needle.

* * *

><p>The door slammed behind me once I was placed back into the room with the rest of the kids. Within a second, a flurry of footsteps filled the room, and I was bombarded with a hug right around the shoulders. It didn't take me long to realize that it was my sister.<p>

"Shoji, are you alright?" Sis asked me with the utmost concern, to which I immediately nodded to her.

"Yeah, Mr. Ikutsuki said he'd help Jin out with his eyes." I stated, still smiling about Ikutsuki's answer. "He even gave me a piece of chocolate for being well mannered!"

I heard a few mournful sighs to the side in response, which I assumed were from Jin and Takaya.

"Well…thank you Shoji…" Jin said in a low tone of voice. "Although at least now we can prepare that ambush, right Takaya?"

"Right." Takaya confidently answered. "You don't mind helping us out though, do you Chidori?" He seemed to ask my sister. "It'll go a lot better when there's more of us."

"Of course I don't." Sis instantly answered, turning towards Jin and Takaya while she was still hugging me. "I want to keep my brother safe after all." As she spoke, I felt her grip around me tighten. "Isn't that right Shoji?"

"Um…" I stuttered again, remembering the amiability that Ikutsuki had just shown me.

"Oh?" Takaya uttered with curiosity, picking up on my stutter. "Do you have something else to say?"

I gave him a small nod.

"Should I really stay away from Mr. Ikutsuki?" I asked out, expecting the array of shocked gasps that I heard the day before. "He was really nice to me today… Like a dad…"

"He _isn't _your dad Shoji!" Sis shouted at me with more ferocity in her voice than ever before, instantly breaking the hug as she did so.

I immediately flinched back and covered my ears. Even with the bandages over my eyes, I perfectly pictured the harsh glare that Sis gave off when she was enraged. Whenever she gave off that glare, it felt as though her eyes were burrowing right through me.

Both Takaya and Jin were completely quiet as well. No doubt that Sis's immediate anger spooked them into silence, like it did to me.

As time slowly passed, the only thing that came out of the four of us was the bated breath that left Sis's mouth. Her breaths grew heavier as her throat began to close up, and let out a single sob.

"…If it wasn't for him, you would still be able to see, and you wouldn't be clenching onto your head in pain every night." Sis muttered in a low, but aggravated tone.

I didn't say a word, because my lips felt as though they were sewn shut. When I felt her hand on my shoulder, I shivered in fear of what she would do next. But after a few seconds of silence, she didn't do anything.

Once I heard another sob, Sis hugged me softly around the torso.

"I don't want you to keep suffering like that, okay Shoji?" She whispered to me within the embrace. As she did so, I could feel the fabric on my shoulder growing damp.

I nodded back, since my throat felt like it was filled with needles, and the bandages over my eyes grew wet as well.

After a few exchanges between Jin, Takaya, and Sis, we all went back to our beds.

I don't know how I fell asleep that night.

* * *

><p>I woke up with a shake of the shoulder, courtesy of Jin. Sis wasn't next to me on the bed, like she usually was.<p>

"Don't worry little guy." Jin told me, patting my back as he did so. "Chidori's standing by a different bunk bed. As is Takaya." He let out a rather confident chuckle as he said that, and then helped me out of the bed. "Just stay close to the bed and relax, alright?" He stated, letting my hands wrap around the cold metal bars of the bunk bed. "Once you hear one of us shout 'Now', that's your cue to run for the door with your sister, okay?"

I nodded to him again. A few butterflies still rattled in my stomach, but I remembered how much I wanted to be with Sis. I also remembered how often Ikutsuki took me away from her, against both of our wills, and how worried Sis always sounded when I returned.

Just the thought of all those events made me tighten my hands in vexation. As I did, Jin patted the top of my head one last time, and then walked off to who knows where.

The mutterings of all the other kids echoed in the room for the longest of minutes, until the door let out a 'click' as it opened. A set of thick footsteps soon followed it, which meant that Ikutsuki entered the room.

"Now!" Jin shouted. Then, there was a loud thud, and a ton of grunts and yells that came from Jin, Takaya,_ and_ Ikutsuki, all at once.

"C'mon Shoji!" My sister called out as I felt her hand grab my own. Once she did, I began running alongside her, passing the countless kids that surrounded us, and even Ikutsuki himself, who was still fighting off Jin and Takaya, given how upset he sounded.

Sis then took a sharp turn to the left, which must've meant that we were in the hallway at that point. We ran through as many halls as we could, even as our feet hurt from running on the hard floors. Sis made a bunch of twists and turns throughout the building, but there wasn't anything close to an exit. As far I could tell, we were just lab rats running around in a never-ending maze.

Until Sis came to a dead stop. When she did, I could hear the heavy, rapid footsteps of adults closing in on us, from every direction.

In a mere second, Sis's hand was ripped away from my hold. All I could hear was her yells and struggles as the men pulled her away.

When I tried to run towards her, a pair of hands grabbed me right around the torso, and lifted me off the ground. Reacting out of sheer instinct, I struggled in the adult's hold, and then bit his hand harshly.

The man let out a scream, and released his hold on me, letting me fall to the hard floor. Gritting my bloody teeth, I ignored the pain tingling across my skin, and stood back up to run towards Sis.

Until, out of nowhere, a sharp piece of metal stabbed into my back, and shocked my entire body, riddling it with more pain than ever. After the shock, my consciousness slipped away from me, and I fell to the floor again with a simple 'thud'.

* * *

><p>I grumbled as I finally woke up. Although my vision was still completely black, I felt the cold floor below me, and I heard a slow, disappointed sigh from behind.<p>

"Number 37…" I froze once I heard who was talking behind me; it was Ikutsuki. "What was the reason for that little stunt?"

I didn't say a peep at first. Instead, my body began to shake, while my hands curled up into fists.

"B-Be…" I stuttered once again, but once I swallowed the lump in my throat, I stood right up, and turned towards where I heard Ikutsuki's voice. "Because I wanted to be with my sister and her friends!" I spat out with rage. "I don't want to stay in this stupid room all the time, especially since _you_ promised to let me be with-"

My words were instantly cut off by a harsh slap to the face, causing me to fall right back down. As the entire left side of my face stung, my bandages grew wet, and the only thing to leave my throat was a weary sob.

"Promise or no promise, you've been a bad little boy, Number 37…" Ikutsuki uttered in a low, but serious tone. After he said that, I heard the faint clicks of a belt unbuckling. "And I will _not_ tolerate that kind of behavior."

In a flash, Ikutsuki grabbed me by the hair, and pinned me to the wall. I felt him roll up my shirt, exposing my bare back.

Before I could even take in another breath, the belt Ikutsuki had unbuckled lashed me right on the back, making my skin crawl with agony in a fraction of a second. As soon as it ended, another lash came, followed by another one afterwards, and another one after that. Each one tore up the skin on my back worse than the last.

With each deafening crack of the belt, I screamed my lungs out from the immense pain. Even as my throat grew hoarse, the lashings didn't stop, and they only grew more torturous as they continued. Once my back grew damp from the blood oozing out of it, I wondered if I'd have any skin remaining on my back at all, or if I'd even have a voice after all of my wails of torment.

Right as I thought this agony would never end, the lashings finally came to a stop.

When they did, I was no longer a child; I was a trembling, sobbing wreck who was curled up on the ground. My bloodied back felt like it was just set on fire, while the bandages coating my eyes were soaking wet.

"Now, you aren't going to do anything like that again now, are you?" Ikutsuki asked me, slowly patting the belt in his free hand as he did so.

I furiously shook my head in response. I didn't even bother saying anything, because I was certain that he'd lash at me again if I said so much as a syllable.

"That's good." He stated calmly, and happily. "I'd hate to see my own son _beating_ a dead horse after all!" The adult laughed at his own joke again, while I stayed silent. After what I had just went through, that pun wasn't the least bit funny to me.

However, Ikutsuki's laughter faded away once he noticed that I was silent, and grabbed my by the hair again.

"You're supposed to laugh." He stated harshly, pulling on every hair on my head.

In a panic, I let out the loudest laugh that I could, doing everything that I could to make sure that it didn't sound fake. The longer that Ikutsuki held onto my hair, the more I exaggerated my laughter.

After several grueling minutes of my forced laughter, Ikutsuki let go of my hair.

"That's better." He said quite happily. After a few clicks, which probably meant that he was putting his belt back on, he lifted me up onto the exam table. "Now, let's begin your procedure, okay Number 37?"

"O-okay." I immediately said with a strong nod, hoping that Ikutsuki didn't hear my sight stutter.

When the adult let out a light chuckle in response, and began to rummage through his materials again, I felt a shiver crawl down my spine from his calm composure.

* * *

><p>...These abominable fools.<p>

They're torturing children in these abhorrent experiments as well? Was the bloodshed that my sisters went through that insignificant to them?

What utter filth… Leaving an innocent youth to wade in the mud that they step on…

* * *

><p><em>Now you know why I put that warning up. (And scaled this story up to an M-rating.)<em>

_Now then, to explain myself, I'm pretty sure that any player of Persona 4 Arena Ultimax knows about the relationship between Sho and Ikutsuki, and all of the shit that it eventually led to._

_As such, I decided that I wasn't going to shy away from the topic of abuse and abusive relationships here. Instead, I was gonna make sure that I could portray just how horrific and destructive a relationship like that is, and explain why Sho was so effed up in the head by the time Ultimax hit._

_Although speaking of later times, I should also mention that the last bit of this chapter didn't feature Sho in first-person. Who was it then? Well, you'll find out in the next chapter~ *evil snickering*_

_Persona 3, 4, Ultimax (C) Atlus_


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